“Okay, thanks for letting me know and getting it sorted,” Jade says from the other room, but it sounds like she’s getting closer. “I’ll keep an eye out for the delivery this weekend. Bye.” Her footsteps echo closer, and I dart back to my spot at the table. Picking a random diagram on the page in front of me, I follow the arrows and mimic the motion with my arms.
“Your book is upside down.” Jade snorts, and I peek out from one eye to see it indeed is.
Fuck. So much for being smooth.
“Oops. Guess I’m getting a little tired. I think I’m going to head home.” I feign a yawn and grab mybelongings.
“You did well today. Pat yourself on the back, Ava.” She follows me to the front. “We’ll have to set up another time to work on it, but you already have a much better handle than I did at this stage.”
Feeling a little guilty, I simply smile and wave while I exit the store.
Once I’m situated in my car, I pull up my camera roll and scan the pictures I took. Some of them are completely useless since they’re in languages I can’t read or understand. A few, based on the name of the spells, are also a no-go unless the one that’s used to make a person more beautiful is going to help us knock the enemies dead.
Frustrated, I keep scrolling until I land on the last one. “Use for danger,” I murmur to myself. “That’s perfect!” I cheer and keep reading.
The items necessary for the spell to be completed are listed, along with a few others. Others that can strengthen it and allow it to last longer.
I bring up my notes app on my phone and quickly make a list of supplies.
I need a little more time to read over the spell and feel confident enough to try, but in a few days—a week tops—I’m doing this.
CHAPTER 40
VALEN
“Valen is fucked,”Zav blurts.
“Zavier Higgins Lockwood!” Celine smacks his chest with her good arm, and he rubs it with a smile. Her other is still in its cast resting against her chest in a sling.
Leaning forward, he feigns privacy from Celine with a hand covering his mouth. “She pulled out the full government name.”
“Higgins?” Ava asks.
Celine sighs and attempts to pet Midnight, who hisses at her and instead jumps into Zav’s lap to curl up. “He won’t tell me his actual middle name, so I pick a new one every time.” She eyes him with annoyance, but a small smirk pulls on the edge of her lip. “He enjoys it way too much.”
I haven’t known Celine for long, but she’s a lot happier and more carefree than she was only months ago. It seems to have to do with leaving her job and spending more time with her mate. There are nights where I’ll hear her waking from a nightmareand Zav soothing her, but as time goes on, they’ve lessened.
“No, but seriously—Valen is fucked, and not just by Ava.” He makes a crude gesture with his hands that I now understand.
Ava gasps and I grab the nearest cat toy and throw it at him with my enhanced speed. The toy hits him in the head and falls to the ground where Midnight lazily swats at it from Zavier’s lap, even though he’s not even close to reaching it.
“Hey!” Zav rubs his head like it actually hurt. “The pink-haired one’s bad influence is rubbing off on you. You’re not getting a gold star this week,” he harrumphs like a child.
A knock at the door has the girls turning their heads toward the noise, but I smelled Luna approaching the moment she got on the elevator. I walk over to open it for her, and she thanks me before breezing by and into the living room.
“So sorry I’m late! Immortality didn’t change my lack of time awareness,” Luna apologizes and sits next to Ava on the couch.
Pom Pom, who was passed out on the cushion next to her, jolts awake at the commotion. He stretches one little leg out behind him like a ballerina and then the other before jumping onto her lap. He attacks her face with doggy kisses and she laughs.
“Did you have a big stretch after your nap?” Luna kisses his fluffy forehead and gives full-body pets before the familiar settles down in her lap much like Midnight. Their auras intermingle in happiness.
Zav claps, and Midnight cracks one eye open to give him the stink eye. Closing it, he flips onto his back, tail swaying lazily. “Back to business. We need to talk about what happened at the club.”
Ava pulls at a fraying piece of her shirt. “Sorry for delayingthis, guys. I didn’t mean to make you all wait. I just couldn’t face it after what happened.” She looks pointedly at Celine’s arm and her blue eyes dart down to the floor.
“Aves, I’ve told you a million times it wasn’t your fault. Please stop blaming yourself,” Celine coos, reaching to give Ava’s hand a gentle pat.
I wind an arm around Ava’s waist and pull her into me for comfort. She relaxes into my chest, and I marvel at how I’m able to soothe her with my touch.
